'Bambi' shows McCardell he still has plenty of grace

SAN DIEGO —— Chargers wide receiver Keenan McCardell was
regrouping on the bench just before the half, basking in the glow
of his 29-yard touchdown reception, when he noticed an unexpected
visitor over his left shoulder.

His guest during the Chargers' 48-10 victory over the Buffalo
Bills on Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium was none other than
Hall of Famer Lance Alworth.

McCardell had just moved past Alworth on the NFL's career
receiving yards list with a 26-yard reception seconds before his
scoring grab. And it was mere minutes before Alworth was due at
midfield for his number retirement ceremony.

Though McCardell was just a toddler when Alworth played his last
down, he was touched by the gesture.

"It was unbelievable," McCardell said. "I was just smiling. He
came down to congratulate me, and to have a Hall of Famer like that
come down to congratulate me for passing him on the all-time yards
list —— it was fun."

With six catches for 88 yards, the 14-year veteran McCardell
moved into 21st on the all-time yardage list with 10,320 yards.
Alworth, nicknamed "Bambi" for his fluid moves, had 10,266 yards in
11 years.

"If you know what a great receiver is, he's a great receiver,"
McCardell said of Alworth. "He's a guy that was always open, he was
always behind everybody when he looked up and he was always making
the tough catches. That's something I've tried to pride my game
on."

Alworth, who played for the Chargers from 1962-70 before playing
his final two years for the Dallas Cowboys.

When his No. 19 was raised just under the lighting ring above
the stadium's west end zone, he joined Dan Fouts as the only
Chargers to have their numbers retired. The Bolts wore their powder
blue throwback uniforms in his honor.

Alworth appeared emotional during the halftime ceremony. He
received a warm ovation as he was introduced to the crowd by former
quarterback John Hadl and team president Dean Spanos.

"This has to be the greatest moment of my football career,"
Alworth told the crowd. "I wish you could all feel what I'm feeling
right now. It's a wonderful thing."

The ceremony provided closure of sorts for Alworth after he was
traded to the Cowboys after the 1970 season.

"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye after I was traded from
San Diego, and there's always been something missing," he said
during his speech. "I want you all to know how much you meant to
me."